The Best Part of Being a Writer

Reception for my first book.

I write because I enjoy telling a story. I told my brother stories when I was a child. When I became a teenager, I started writing short stories and poems. I enjoyed writing papers in college, and now in my later years I’m a published writer – yes, self-published except for stories in one magazine and in anthologies. Maybe it’s because I’m not traditionally published, although I’m not sorry I went that route at all. Even though there are an incredible number of self-published authors now, there’s still a stigma with being indie published.

Although much of my enjoyment comes from the writing of stories, poetry and books, it’s even better when my writing is enjoyed by others. Gradually, I’m finding I have a fan base. This may be hard to believe by other writers, but except for a few weeks after my first book was up on Amazon, I have never read the reviews there for any of my books. Probably it’s because I dread reading any negative ones.

My Red Read Robin Book Club with only a few showing here.

It’s not that people haven’t told me they enjoyed my books, at least some people I know. Several women in one of my book clubs buy each new book when it comes out and tell me how much they enjoyed it. I also have several fans that look forward to buying each of my books from The Village Book Store in Garrettsville, Ohio. They check in with the owner often to see if my latest is out yet. And a sister and brother-in-law in Washington State always email me when they finish the latest book and compliment me. My brother-in-law sent an email to thank me for my latest book, “We got your new book yesterday. Started reading it and couldn’t put it down until I finished it. I think it is the best one yet! Can’t wait until the next one.”  My sister also liked it.

Author's Ally at Malice Domestic

Probably because of the self-publishing stigma, I never felt my books were outstanding. Maybe it was because when our SinC chapter has a yearly event, only the traditionally published authors are on the panels. Even though I was getting checks from Amazon for print books and another one for e-books at least three times a year or more. However, I have been on a panel at Malice and also was a moderator for a panel there. I’ve been in the Malice-go-round two years, and in Author’s Alley, so even though I’m not eligible for an Agatha, I’m still recognized as an author.

And then in February, as I was delivering a pie for my church’s annual Lenten fish dinners, a young man spied me coming down the hall. He threw up his hands and shouted out, “Here comes my favorite author” so loud everyone around started laughing. We first got acquainted through the poetry I submitted to the Family News Letter he publishes for the church. He’s also a professor at a local college. He’d told me then he loved my books, but not quite as loudly as that evening when he said he loved, loved, loved my books and has his mother hooked on them, too.

A book signing at Malice Domestic next to Sparkle Abby

Since I’m not one to promote myself as anyone special (even writing this blog goes against my grain), it’s always surprising and pleasing to get compliments on my books. Recently I’ve had a woman from my church call and ask me for my latest book. I took it to her after I finished delivering Mobile Meals. Later she contacted me and said she was disappointed because she’d planned to have something to read all week, but got so hooked on it she couldn’t put it down so it didn’t last two whole days.

Then there are the letters from several children who wrote me after reading my middle-grade book The Sherlock Holmes Detective Club.  “Dear Mrs. Alden, So far I read your book. My favorite student is Andrew. I like his funny jokes. My favorite character from this book is Mrs. Alden. She is a great teacher letting the children write letters to Mrs. Van Brocken. I have dark brown hair and brown eyes. When I grow up I want to be a 3^rd grade teacher.” There is more of this letter, too, including an acrostics poem, and he even e-mailed me from my webpage. I also received two other letters from the granddaughters of one of my church members who bought that book for them for Christmas.

There have been others, too. When I voted this spring, there wasn’t anyone voting at the time so I visited with the four women who were working for the election. I mentioned I’m a writer and what kind of books I write, and one woman wanted my first two books. So I sold her them out of my car. A month later she called me and wanted to know if she could buy my last four books because she enjoyed the first two so much. This was before my latest one came out.

In May I was contacted by Pat Rullo, who wanted to interview me on her talk radio show. We set up a time and date in June. She called and talked with me that day before starting to interview me. She told me to stay on the line after the interview because she wanted to talk longer with me about things other than my writing. The thing that surprised me was when I listened to it on the site later, it didn’t sound like me at all although friends and family said it did. For my donation to a charitable program for veterans she supports, it will be up on that site as well as others for 52 weeks. To listen to my interview go to http://www.speakuptalkradio.com/gloria-alden/. After the interview we talked for almost a half hour. She wants to meet me in person since she lives less than an hour away, and she wants to read more of my books.

Last week I went to a retired teacher’s luncheon with teachers from the district I taught in. It was the first one I attended because they didn’t have my email address until lately. When I got there, I only knew two of them well, one I was slightly familiar with and the others I didn’t know at all. However one of those I didn’t know recognized my name and started a conversation about my books. Eileen, the one who arranges the luncheons, buys my books and then passes them around to other teachers so I found out I had a fan base I didn’t know about except for Eileen. A woman named Mary Lou followed me to my car and bought my first book. When she finished it she emailed me saying she liked it and would like to come visit me.

 

Three members of my Third Thursday Book Club

A woman named Susan contacted me through my website and wrote: “Have read both Carnations for Cornelia, and Blood Red Poinsettias – new additions at WTCP Library and thoroughly enjoyed both. I like that you delve into the characters background and lives more fully than most mystery authors. Now I have to find the other books in the series and play catch-up. Thank you for a most interesting series.” Susan and I started an email conversation and since she lives locally, she came to visit me bringing sweet treats, and we spent a lovely afternoon together. She wanted to join a book club so I lent her the book I’d finished for my next book club and yesterday she joined us. When I introduced her and said how we met, two people who didn’t know my latest book was out wanted it, a member who rarely comes decided she wanted to read my first two, and bought those, and another member told me someone she knows in a nearby town has read my book, loved it and has been passing it around in her book club to read. She bought one of my other books to give to that woman. So I sold five books that day without any intention of doing so.  Am I making a lot of money? Well after buying them from Create Space, paying for shipping, I get a little over $4.00 a book which probably averages out to not earning more than ten cents an hour of my time writing, editing and publishing my books not to mention printer ink because I back up all my writing with hard copy.

My father always said he wouldn’t praise his kids, but would be pleased if others did. Maybe that’s the reason that even though I enjoy the positive comments I receive, I’m still a little uncomfortable with it. One year I won Portage County’s Elementary School Teacher of the Year Award which included a banquet. I was so uncomfortable because the principal put up a huge banner congratulating me. Was I a good teacher? Yes. Did I want all that attention? Not really because we had a lot of good teachers in our small school.  So yes, even though I enjoy hearing words of praise, I’m still a little uncomfortable with it.

What do you enjoy most about writing?

Are you ever uncomfortable with praise of your writing?

Malice Domestic 27

E.B., Grace, Shari, Me (Gloria), Paula, KM

This past weekend I attended my ninth Malice Domestic. As always, I found Malice exciting, interesting, fun, and yes, at times overwhelming with too much sensory stimulation.  I imagine many people there felt that way, at least the writers attending. After all, writers mostly work alone and I live alone, too.

It was a long drive to get there – six hours just to get to KM’s house. She drove from there and that was at least an hour and a half stopping for lunch on the way since I’d left at 6:30 a.m. After we checked into the Hyatt in Bethesda, we relaxed until it was time to register. A small group had congregated; some friends I knew or other writers I’d met at a previous Malice or ones I only knew through the Guppy list serve. As we waited, a photographer who had taken pictures at another Malice joined us. She had a vibrant and upbeat personality. I don’t remember her name, but I do remember her saying, when someone commented on the good pictures she previously took, that “It’s easy to get good pictures of mystery writers because they’re always happy, laughing or smiling naturally.” Those may not be her exact words, but what she said was true. Everywhere you go at Malice; panels, halls, elevators, etc. writers and fans are smiling and eager to visit. If someone looks familiar, we read the name and place on lanyards and make personal contact.  Sometimes it’s a newbie to Malice and we tell them what a great time they’re going to have.

Friday, after breakfast in the hotel pub, I took my books to the Mystery Loves Company dealer for sale. Kathy Harig has been handling my books there and in her store in Maryland since 2013.

The fun event of Friday morning was Malice Go Round, a two minute speed dating event for the writers who were chosen from a long list to participate – two authors per table dashing around from table to table telling us about their book and passing out bookmarks. It’s exhausting for the writers, I know, because I was lucky enough to be one of those chosen last year.

I went with a group of Guppies to Booeymonger's, a nearby restaurant where some of us meet for lunch on Friday and/or Saturday. I went both days and sat with different Guppies – some I knew and some I met for the first time. There’s something special about meeting and visiting with people over lunch, some I didn’t know before we met there.

That afternoon I attended one panel; New Kids on the Block: Our Agatha Best First Novel Nominees with Harriet Sackler the moderator and the panelists Annette Dashofy, Sherry Harris, Terrie Farley Moran (who won), Susan O’Brien and Tracy Weber. And  I made several stops in the book dealer’s room to buy books. Actually, I bought books every day – far more than I sold.

The six members of WWK who were there met in the hotel bar at 4:00 where we enjoyed visiting with each other. Paula and Grace had other plans for dinner, but KM, E.B. Shari, and I headed off for La Madeleine’s, a wonderful French restaurant a few blocks away, with several  other friends, too. Afterwards I went to the live auction for a short while before heading up to bed and a book. The auctioneers were funny and did a great job,but I was too tired to stay long.

Saturday morning I attended a delicious Sisters in Crime breakfast with a variety of food to choose from.  Towards the end of the meal chapter presidents were introduced as well as the new SinC president – Leslie Budewitz. When that ended, all the Guppies attending gathered with their boas or something similar for a group picture.  There had to be many Gups who couldn’t be seen from the size of the group. Yeah, Guppies!

I attended three panels that day, went to lunch at the Booeymonger's again sitting with different Guppies this time, visited the book dealers again to buy yet more books, and took some downtime in the afternoon to read.

The Chocolate Mousse was in an edible chocolate Cup.

Saturday evening was the Agatha Banquet. I chose to sit at Annette Dashofy’s table. The food was good, the others at the table friendly, and the speeches funny and good. The size of the crowd attending was remarkable. Annette didn’t win, but just being nominated was an honor.

Sunday morning was the New Author continental style breakfast where new authors were introduced. I had to leave before the end because I had a panel at 9:00 a.m.

My panel was Population 2000: Small town sleuths. It was the first panel I had at Malice. Patsy Asher was our moderator and the other panelists were Leslie Budewitz, Marcia Talley, Gail Oust and Jessie Crockett. After initial nerves before it started, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

After the book signings at 11:00, KM and I checked out and left for home.

Malice from the Viewpoint of an Unpublished Author

By Grace Toppping

Malice Domestic is a mystery fan convention.  Fans get to meet authors, and authors get to meet their fans and promote their books.  As an unpublished writer, I don’t have a book to promote, I don’t have fans (other than my family), and the sessions aren’t directed to writers on how to write, edit, publish, or promote their work.

So when asked by my family why I attend Malice, I had to think about it. I went to my first Malice years ago at the request of a friend who wanted someone to go along with her.  I read the occasional mystery, but I was not a diehard fan, and I had never thought of writing one. But as I listened to the panel members talk about their mysteries, the idea of actually writing one sounded intriguing, and I could see myself doing that. The seed was planted and I found myself beginning to grow as a mystery writer.

Something else happened at that first Malice. I made wonderful friends—friends who guided me through the conference and continued to encourage me throughout the year online. I had joined a community of intelligent, fun, and generous writers who have helped shape me as a writer. They introduced me to other writers, to organization such as Sisters in Crime and its subgroup the Guppies (the Great Unpublished). They shared information and encouraged me. And, best of all, they saw me as a mystery writer. After that, each Malice attendance became a reunion of these friends. Missing a Malice Domestic conference would be like missing a family reunion. Each year that family continues to grow. 

Another reason I go to Malice is because I discovered how exciting it is to meet the authors of books I’ve loved and hear them talk about what inspired them and the challenges they faced in their journey to publication. That first Malice, I actually got to meet Edward Marston, who came in from England, and Katherine Neville, who wrote “The Eight.” I was thrilled and discovered that I had become a diehard fan.

If you’ve never been to a Malice Domestic conference, add it to your bucket list. But beware: Attending Malice could change your life; it changed mine.

Paula’s Report From Malice

Paula and Aziz

This year, Malice was a whirlwind. Midday Friday, I arrived and rode with Aziz Rakla to the Hyatt. Aziz and I met a few years ago when we took an author to the hospital. Now, he provides my transportation to and from the airport each year and we catch up with each other when I come to DC. He’s always glad when his picture is included in my Malice write-up. Also, if anyone needs the name of a good DC/Bethesda driver, just send me an email!

One special memory I will cherish is riding up in the glass elevator with Toastmaster Toni L.P. Kelner’s husband and daughters. They were bringing her an arrangement of flowers sent by her good friends Charlaine Harris and Dana Cameron. After they exited, I watched through the elevator’s windows as the group ran into Toni’s arms. What a beautiful moment.

Being with my blogging partners from WWK is always a highlight at Malice. This year, those of us who gathered in the hotel bar included Gloria Alden, E.B. Davis, Shari Randall, KM Rockwood, Grace Topping, and myself. How terrific to spend time together and talk face-to-face!

The panel I moderated featured writers with Globe Trotter sleuths. The authors were Cathy Ace, who writes the Cait Morgan and WISE Enquiries series; Peggy Hanson, whose Elizabeth Darcy mysteries feature an investigative reporter; Maria Hudgins, who pens the Dotsy Lamb and Dr. Lacy Glass series; and Maddy Hunter, whose Passport to Peril series has tour director Emily
Andrew-Miceli, a reluctant sleuth, who chaperones Iowa senior citizens on trips around the world, stumbling over dead bodies along the way. We ended by singing happy birthday to Cathy.

I had the great privilege of sitting at Art Taylor’s banquet table when he won his second Agatha for Best Short Story with “The Odds Are Against Us” (EQMM). Art is a gifted writer and wonderful person. He was so very kind to acknowledge Writers Who Kill in his thank you speech as one of the venues that featured interviews with the nominees in the Best Short Story category.

On Sunday before leaving, I had the opportunity to see B.K. (Bonnie) Stevens’ Authors’ Alley presentation. Her protagonist in INTERPRETATION OF MURDER is a deaf interpreter. Bonnie brought her older daughter Sarah, a licensed interpreter, who taught us how to say “kill,” “murder,” and “dead” in sign language.

Now, I eagerly look forward to Malice next year!

Shari Randall’s Input

For me there were so many highlights at Malice: meeting friends old and new, and finally meeting friends I’d only met on Facebook. Enjoying a great French meal with my blog mates. Discovering new authors to follow (Yrsa Sigurdardottie, Cathy Ace, and too many to list.) Being in the same room with Sara Paretsky. Tons of free books, plus ARCs! What was the silliest fun at Malice ? Having a Diane Valere’s  Mad for Mod singalong to Doris Day’s “Que Sara Sara.” What a hoot! Diane was going for the Guinness World Record for most people at a mystery conference. Unfortunately, video of this event is now circulating online.

KM’s Thoughts on Malice

Malice Domestic, one of the country’s premier mystery conferences, is the first weekend of May, and I was excited to be participating again this year!

The conference is held at the Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, MD. For me, it’s not that far a drive—I live in southern Pennsylvania—but the nightmare traffic of the DC area is enough to convince me that, if I am going, I will stay in the hotel. That not only spares me the commuting, it also means I have a greater opportunity to mingle with other attendees. Which, as far as I am concerned, is the best part of the conference.

I have gone in the past, and it’s a magical experience. I find there is always too much to do, and I have to make hard choices about what to attend and what to skip. I’ve never figured out how they manage to schedule three panel sessions I’d like to attend at once, and then have a spot following it with topics that are of great interest to others, but not necessarily to me.

This year, I had a spot on a panel—Challenges, Challenges: Protagonists on the Edge—on Sunday morning. It was a good fit for Jesse Damon, the protagonist of my crime novel series, who is on parole for a murder conviction. I’ve read books by the other members of the panel, and there was a lively discussion. I had  a book signing time afterwards.

Malice Domestic had an area where authors can give away promotional items. Some of them were very creative, but I’m afraid I’m not that clever. My new publisher, Wildside Press, worked on getting my books available for the conference. They have new covers for them, and I arranged for bookmarks with the new covers.

One fun feature is Malice-Go-Round, which has been compared to speed dating with books. Authors circulate to tables to talk briefly about their books, and often leave giveaways and treats. Every year, there are more authors than available spots, so there’s a drawing to see who gets a spot and who doesn’t. Last year, I was dead last on the list. This year I was closer to making it. Maybe next year I actually will make it.

But meeting people is the best part. Fans, other authors, people who I have admired from afar, dedicated and hardworking volunteers who make the conference run. I have made some very good friends, and hope to continue that tradition. Writing is a solitary experience, and interacting with all these people with similar interests is always invigorating.

Have you ever attended Malice or another mystery conference?

What did you like about the experience?